Unfortunately, the "conservative" Republican Party you think you belong to no longer exists, and good luck trying to reclaim it. And if you think the current regime is actually protecting free speech, you're really not paying attention.
Anyone can make any claim they want. I'd appreciate your making the case that the republican party is more restrictive than the democratic party, especially in light of this post.
Well...perhaps I misinterpreted "acceptance letter to the Republican Party." But I don't think I did. And I did not write that the Republican Party was more restrictive than the Democratic Party, but that they don't seem to be very tolerant of free speech (or religion, for that matter).
It might be time to move beyond Woke Derangement Syndrome.
You read "acceptance letter to the Republican party" differently than I do, but I make no claim that my interpretation is more accurate than yours.
As for WDS, I see MAGA as a reaction to WDS. At least at the start, MAGA developed to reject century-old progressive bigotry against anyone who wasn't a progressive bigot. I've got Liza to back me up, as she goes as a far back as Thomas Dewey in examining the extent to which the left has inserted its philosophy into public education.
I don't care who believes what. I care who attempts to force others to go along. Liza again backs me up, concerning 'liberal' strongarm tactics to force conformity on college campuses.
If you would care to examine MAGA tactics along the same lines, feel free. I didn't come here to defend the republican party. But I do feel somewhat less threatened by that party than by the democratic party..
Yet here you are, freely voicing your opinion on an open forum with no ramifications. If you chose to go protest, you are free to do so as long as you don’t become verbally or physically violent towards people, buildings and law enforcement officers (state and federal). Additionally, the colleges and universities are also free to “teach” their version of “education” without any causation. The Republican Party may not be what it used to be but the Democratic party has been completely flipped on its head and dangerously close to socialism and communism which results in a much more dangerous “regime”. You seem to be the one with your head in the sand and not paying attention.
👏👏👏 This was a really good article, Liza! Columbia University converted you into a conservative because they have been captured leftist ideology and the left no longer values free speech or intellectual diversity. You saw in the unhinged behavior of your instructors and classmates and their intolerance towards opposing views, that the left had lost its mind and was not the place for you. You grew up immersed in progressivism but when you went to college you quickly saw that the left no longer believed in the ideals they once stood for. Just as the left in the Soviet Union alienated your grandmother with its totalitarian behavior, so too did the left in America alienate you with the same tendencies- Maoist-like censorship of speech, closed-mindedness, shutting down debate, language policing, cancel culture, and call out culture. As to you mentioned, the right has its own problems. But the moderate right is open to freedom of speech and freedom of thought unlike the left. It’s just a fact that there is more intellectual diversity on the right than on the left. I’m politically homeless and an independent moderate. I am socially liberal, fiscally conservative and hawkish on foreign policy. I avoid binaries and being put in boxes when it comes to politics. I’m about as middle of the road as you can get. I’ve always found more open-mindedness, willingness to accept a diversity of views and be friends across ideological lines on the center-right.
Liza is more of a libertarian than a true conservative, but with political polarization and tribalism being what they are, Liza has been forced to choose a side. She chooses the right because she agrees with them on more, they welcome her in with open arms and listen to her and they won’t cancel her for believing the things she does. I’m to the left of Liza on social issues. I’m all for a woman’s right to choose, gay marriage, affirmative action, gun control, immigration reform, environmentalism, labor unions, a social safety net, universal healthcare, and criminal justice reform. But nonetheless, I am fully accepted and welcome to be part of Pens & Poison’s audience. But I would be branded a bigot, white supremacist, alt-right, etc. if I tried to be part of a liberal or a leftist’s audience in a literature Substack. That’s the difference between folks on the right like Liza and her left-wing detractors here on Substack.
The most shocking part of this to me is the professor attempting to establish a point about Plath by appealing to the New York Times. All that time I’ve spent hunting down primary sources. Maybe it’s because I went to a lesser university; they’re so elite at Columbia.
My experiences at the University of Oregon, waaay back in the early '90s, had a similar effect on me. Although it marketed itself as acceptance, and diversity, politicay correct, , it was the same illiberalism that has come into full bloom over the last 10 years.
Funny, we essentially did a role reversal. I voted for Trump all three times he ran. It wasn't until this term that I realized the conservative party I once identified with is gone, and honestly, maybe never really existed the way I thought it did in the first place. Trump has made cuts to so many significant public initiatives, I've actually lost count. People have been directly hit by misfortune following his administration's overtly bad calls. The democratic socialist ideology the left holds is nowhere near the Communist regime your family fled. It much more closely resembles the model used across much of the EU, which allows for free markets and free enterprise while also allowing for financial safety nets for the public. There is nothing wrong with this model. I would argue it supports the greater good for the largest number of people.
Also, lest we forget: the GOP is behind the banning of books in this country, villainizes/mocks higher education, and often does not use critical thinking to support their worldview. MAGA are sheeple. In that same breath, I fully acknowledge and agree with the fact that the nonsense you encountered at Columbia is a real issue. But that does not reflect all liberals -- and to your point, people who cry about elections instead of bucking up and working for change need a good kick in the pants. 100%.
In my dream world, political parties do not control, or even attempt to control, our thoughts.
In my dream world, citizens flatly reject attempts to indoctrinate them and their children into any belief system.
The USA was founded on the Enlightenment philosophy of individual rights and responsibility. If only that was still the case...
Unfortunately, the "conservative" Republican Party you think you belong to no longer exists, and good luck trying to reclaim it. And if you think the current regime is actually protecting free speech, you're really not paying attention.
Anyone can make any claim they want. I'd appreciate your making the case that the republican party is more restrictive than the democratic party, especially in light of this post.
And Liza did not state that she was a republican.
Well...perhaps I misinterpreted "acceptance letter to the Republican Party." But I don't think I did. And I did not write that the Republican Party was more restrictive than the Democratic Party, but that they don't seem to be very tolerant of free speech (or religion, for that matter).
It might be time to move beyond Woke Derangement Syndrome.
You read "acceptance letter to the Republican party" differently than I do, but I make no claim that my interpretation is more accurate than yours.
As for WDS, I see MAGA as a reaction to WDS. At least at the start, MAGA developed to reject century-old progressive bigotry against anyone who wasn't a progressive bigot. I've got Liza to back me up, as she goes as a far back as Thomas Dewey in examining the extent to which the left has inserted its philosophy into public education.
I don't care who believes what. I care who attempts to force others to go along. Liza again backs me up, concerning 'liberal' strongarm tactics to force conformity on college campuses.
If you would care to examine MAGA tactics along the same lines, feel free. I didn't come here to defend the republican party. But I do feel somewhat less threatened by that party than by the democratic party..
Yet here you are, freely voicing your opinion on an open forum with no ramifications. If you chose to go protest, you are free to do so as long as you don’t become verbally or physically violent towards people, buildings and law enforcement officers (state and federal). Additionally, the colleges and universities are also free to “teach” their version of “education” without any causation. The Republican Party may not be what it used to be but the Democratic party has been completely flipped on its head and dangerously close to socialism and communism which results in a much more dangerous “regime”. You seem to be the one with your head in the sand and not paying attention.
Excellent testimony. Noticed the leftists trying to stear your beliefs. Typical. When you discover truth it is profound.
👏👏👏 This was a really good article, Liza! Columbia University converted you into a conservative because they have been captured leftist ideology and the left no longer values free speech or intellectual diversity. You saw in the unhinged behavior of your instructors and classmates and their intolerance towards opposing views, that the left had lost its mind and was not the place for you. You grew up immersed in progressivism but when you went to college you quickly saw that the left no longer believed in the ideals they once stood for. Just as the left in the Soviet Union alienated your grandmother with its totalitarian behavior, so too did the left in America alienate you with the same tendencies- Maoist-like censorship of speech, closed-mindedness, shutting down debate, language policing, cancel culture, and call out culture. As to you mentioned, the right has its own problems. But the moderate right is open to freedom of speech and freedom of thought unlike the left. It’s just a fact that there is more intellectual diversity on the right than on the left. I’m politically homeless and an independent moderate. I am socially liberal, fiscally conservative and hawkish on foreign policy. I avoid binaries and being put in boxes when it comes to politics. I’m about as middle of the road as you can get. I’ve always found more open-mindedness, willingness to accept a diversity of views and be friends across ideological lines on the center-right.
Liza is more of a libertarian than a true conservative, but with political polarization and tribalism being what they are, Liza has been forced to choose a side. She chooses the right because she agrees with them on more, they welcome her in with open arms and listen to her and they won’t cancel her for believing the things she does. I’m to the left of Liza on social issues. I’m all for a woman’s right to choose, gay marriage, affirmative action, gun control, immigration reform, environmentalism, labor unions, a social safety net, universal healthcare, and criminal justice reform. But nonetheless, I am fully accepted and welcome to be part of Pens & Poison’s audience. But I would be branded a bigot, white supremacist, alt-right, etc. if I tried to be part of a liberal or a leftist’s audience in a literature Substack. That’s the difference between folks on the right like Liza and her left-wing detractors here on Substack.
What a terrific essay: clear, accurate and brave. Writing like this should be treasured, as should the sentiments expressed here.
The most shocking part of this to me is the professor attempting to establish a point about Plath by appealing to the New York Times. All that time I’ve spent hunting down primary sources. Maybe it’s because I went to a lesser university; they’re so elite at Columbia.
My experiences at the University of Oregon, waaay back in the early '90s, had a similar effect on me. Although it marketed itself as acceptance, and diversity, politicay correct, , it was the same illiberalism that has come into full bloom over the last 10 years.
Funny, we essentially did a role reversal. I voted for Trump all three times he ran. It wasn't until this term that I realized the conservative party I once identified with is gone, and honestly, maybe never really existed the way I thought it did in the first place. Trump has made cuts to so many significant public initiatives, I've actually lost count. People have been directly hit by misfortune following his administration's overtly bad calls. The democratic socialist ideology the left holds is nowhere near the Communist regime your family fled. It much more closely resembles the model used across much of the EU, which allows for free markets and free enterprise while also allowing for financial safety nets for the public. There is nothing wrong with this model. I would argue it supports the greater good for the largest number of people.
Also, lest we forget: the GOP is behind the banning of books in this country, villainizes/mocks higher education, and often does not use critical thinking to support their worldview. MAGA are sheeple. In that same breath, I fully acknowledge and agree with the fact that the nonsense you encountered at Columbia is a real issue. But that does not reflect all liberals -- and to your point, people who cry about elections instead of bucking up and working for change need a good kick in the pants. 100%.